Seminole Sampler News

Hello, Mother Nature?

... beggin' your pardon, Ma'am, but isn't it supposed to be Spring? (sigh)

Well, we got some nice fabrics in today that will help keep your loved ones warm, at least.

Two flannel prints in bright colors for a favorite young one:

Also some favorite spring activities:

Some 'just for fun' prints:

 One lovely basic:

And some guaranteed inspiration:

We have everything you might need for a quilt making adventure right here! :) Come in and let us help you plan your journey!

 

:) Linda

Sweetly Basic

We got several bolts of fabric in today's deliveries (and quite a lot of re-ordered notions:). All of these are what I would call 'basics' - meaning prints that can be used for many different kinds of project. 

As you might already know (or have guessed:) I like quite a lot of different types of fabric. All of these appeal to me, for one reason or another. :) I hope you see something you like, too!

The weather is supposed to be a tad cool for my taste the next few days. Are your cherry trees blooming? The cherry trees in our neighborhood (where I live, on the south side of Columbia) are Kwanyoon cherries (Chinese) and don't bloom until later in the spring. I hear the trees on the Tidal Basin in DC are pretty right now? 

Do plan to go outside at least a little while this week to enjoy the world waking up - it's a bit too early to work in the garden, I think. :) Stop in to see us here at Seminole while you are out!

:) Linda

Quilters Quest Info

Just a short note to update you with information on our plans for the Quilters Quest shop hop in November (Maryland and Northern Virginia). You can look at the pages on Seminole's website or the main Quest site for more details - I just want you to know about one major new benefit of Questing!

The committee has always had Completion Bags printed to give out to every person who finishes the entire Quest circuit. This year, the bags will have a long-lasting usefulness:

 This year, all Quilters' Quest finishers will receive a specially marked, reusable tote bag.  The bag entitles the finisher to a YEAR LONG, 10% discount on all regularly priced merchandise in each of the participating Quilters' Quest quilt shops.  This offer commences upon receipt of the bag, and expires on November 1, 2012

Remember, some of the shops (including Patches Quilting in Mt. Airy, MD) have planned bus trips to take you around if you want to have fun without driving! :)

:) Linda

PS OH, forgot to tell you - there are ten shops in this year's Quest circuit (Material Girls in LaPlata, MD and The Artful Quilters in VA have withdrawn; we have added And Sew It Goes in Savage, MD). :)

Great Big Ol' Pile of Fun!

We got oodles of new fabrics in today's delivery - batiks from Hoffman along with six different colors of BaliPop strip sets - and Very Hungry Caterpillar fabrics from Andover.

Since I am posting this kinda late in the day (after store close) and have been working on the sales floor all day, I'm too tired to sort out my photos into categories. :) Pay attention now! Here it comes:

I put my hand in these two pictures strictly to give you an idea of scale. :)

Those of you who are interested in sending relief and comfort quilts to Japan, Baltimore Heritage Quilt Guild will be holding a sew-in here at Seminole on Monday, April 4th and we will be shipping quilts to Colorado to the offices of Quilters Newsletter for shipment onward to Japan (in association with Japanese quilters).

:) Linda

Stitching Bounty!

We got oodles of new books and patterns in our daily deliveries today - along with some fabrics and one new notion. :)

First, the notion. Many of you probably already are familiar with the original of this item - here is a new and improved Ultimate Sewing Guide:

There is quite a crop of new patterns - I think you are bound to see something that is calling your name in this lot! :)

Next up is the new books - these run the range from elegant applique to cute and kid-compelling:

I'm not overly fond of Sunbonnet Sue but I have to tell you that the Sues in this book are _adorable_! :)

I took the time to thumb through several of these books. The 501 Quilting Motifs is a really _good_ compendium of quilting patterns from the editors of Quiltmaker magazine - the stitch-it-all-together kind of quilting patterns, not the make-this-quilt-pattern-next kind. :) Inspired by Tradition has a great assortment of applique designs featuring clean-lined patterns of all sorts from the traditional range. Countryside Softies had some really _cute_ animals to make and stuff (and some that I would do a little, um, editing with:). Sewing Pottery is awfully reminiscent of the It's A Wrap concept, but the construction is carefully thought out and the designs are really elegant - I particularly liked the pitcher and jug designs for their reality. :)

Now, here are the new fabrics:

I drove down to Gaithersburg this morning to attend a meeting of the Quilters Quest owners committee. There were glorious yellow banks of daffodils blooming all along the highway! Do come in to see us this week - new classes are coming along, new patterns and books, new fabrics ... time for a fresh eye full of color and inspiration!

:) Linda

Week's Pretties

We got some more pretty fabrics this week! Blank, Hoffman, Michael Miller ... take a look:

:) Linda

Window on Spring

I want to share with you a new sample that Alice M. just finished for the store yesterday. It is made using fabrics from Hoffman's collection of Japanese prints called Keiko's Garden:

Isn't this lovely? :) It makes me feel like spring might actually arrive (especially combined with the lovely weather outside today!). :)

We made a set of seven kits up for this wall hanging that will be available for purchase sometime on Monday (Libbie has to finish cutting the borders and put them in stock, yet). You cannot go wrong with this pretty quilt - do you have a wedding or graduation to make gifts for? This would be a good choice for anyone who likes spring, Japanese prints or trompe l'oeil!

:) Linda

PS Did you notice the new banner/header for this blog? I hope you like it - I thought a bit of freshening up was in order. :)

Stripper's Delight

(wicked grin) We got more Hoffman Bali Pops in today's deliveries!! I love these pre-cut strips - they are so gloriously assorted in their color ways and so easy to work with. (happy sighes)

Just a recitation of the names of the colors makes me relax - Sangria, Grasshopper, Zinfandel, Mango Margarita, Blue Hawaiian, Pink Lemonade. aaaaahh!

:) Do come by and pick up a  set - these strip sets are ready to sew in color assortments you can see. My generic mantra is 'if it looks good in a pile together, it will look good in a quilt!' Hasn't failed me, yet!

:) Linda

PS you'd think I was a lush, reading this wouldn't you? more like a teetotaler who occasionally imbibes. LOL

Happy, Busy!

Today is a busy, buzzing day here at Seminole. :) Aren't you happy the weather is improving? I sure am ... even though I'm still struggling to wake up on time (it always takes me a week or so to get used to the time change:P).

We got a bunch of bolts of new fabric from Hoffman. First I want to share one new notion, a new magazine and a returning book. ;)

This is the 'Ultimate' marking pencil - apparently it does not easily rub off like chalk would but IRONS off. I haven't used it yet but I will - never know what will work better, eh? :)

The new magazine is from Down Under and is very spring-y:

The 'returning' book is one I love dearly - such beauty:

If you missed this book first time around, do grab a copy - it's filled with glorious patterns and quite a bit of historical information about William Morris and the Arts & Crafts movement.

Now, we got bolts of beauty from Hoffman Fabrics including a number of batiks:

Do come see us this week - if you are going to the show in Lancaster, stop on the way up or back (remember, we are open on Sunday afternoon:).

:) Linda

Belle Rose and Friends

We got a few bolts of lovely prints from Michael Miller fabrics today - part of the Belle Rose collection. I had to 'fight' (meaning insist:) to get these prints, so I do hope you all like them (and buy them!) -- I'm sure some of you will think 'Why did she want these?' and others (I hope!) will think 'Wow! Gotta have that!' (grin)

I'm not usually given to 'girlie' things, but this print spoke straight to my heart via my eyes - about spring, renewal, life and things worth living for ... I hope it speaks to you, too?

There were two go-withs we got, too:

I think this stripe rescues the print from being too frou-frou ... what do you think? :)

We also got a nice collection of small, inexpensive scissors with black and white handles - easy to find amongst your working surface 'stuff', eh? These scissors are sharp and have been very popular - they sell out quickly:

We also got the newest issue of Quilters Newsletter magazine today - the cover is a bright dose of spring!!

Come in to see us this weekend and absorb a dose of color and friendly faces!

:) Linda